Chapter 16: The Divine Power Test(1)

The pure white dress symbolizing chastity—how long has it been since I last wore such a thing? It feels like I’m immersed in a dream.

The dress fit my body perfectly, as if it had found its rightful owner. I let down the golden hair hidden under the hood and draped the pure white veil over it.

“Abigail, could you come closer?”

I adjusted the nun’s robe that had been fastened unevenly. Her skeletal frame was visible through the blue robe, gaunt and emaciated.

A mixture of guilt and sympathy evoked a profound emotion. As I stared helplessly at her body, Abigail tilted her head in confusion.

“Is something showing?”

“No. It’s perfect. Except for one thing.”

Despite the careful makeup done by the maids since early morning, it didn’t quite suit a nun of the monastery.

I gently wiped her face with a damp cloth. Beneath the heavy makeup, a youthful face peeked through.

“Alicia, did I make a mistake? Why are you crying?”

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry.”

A pale face with no makeup. Only then did she look like a girl her age. However, her face showed signs of suffering that were not fitting for her years.

I gently touched her sunken cheeks, like those of a starving beggar. It was my selfishness that had led to this innocent girl’s miserable state.

“…Alicia, don’t apologize. We’ve both done our best.”

Her frail, bony arms wrapped around me as she whispered, as if she knew all the secrets I had never shared.

“Alicia, could you come closer?”

I reached out for Abigail’s hand. The thin veil that had separated us was lifted like a curtain.

In close proximity, I faced her pitiful eyes.

“The carriage might shake a bit, so it might smudge slightly.”

Abigail’s fingers rested on her lips. As she gently rubbed her lips, the pale color was enhanced with a fake hue.

“It did smudge a little. Will it be okay?”

“It’s only noticeable through the veil, so it should be fine.”

“…Alicia, I keep worrying. Are you really sure you won’t be caught? Father Revencio is someone who can tell just by your stride that it’s not me.”

“Don’t worry about me. Stay close to Father Edwin as I mentioned before. And when the time comes… you haven’t forgotten, have you?”

The carriage jolted and came to a stop. It seemed we had arrived at Lake Deleta

I adjusted the crooked nun’s hood and draped the blue mantle representing the Archelio Monastery over her head.

“Abigail, no matter what happens, I will protect you.”

As the carriage door opened, Father Revencio was there to greet us. His wrinkled hand gently rested on mine.

He walked with a straight back and a dignified stride along the lakeside. The steps and gaze of the Saint; these were things I was habitually accustomed to.

“It’s not too late even now. With just a word, I can make the verification of sacred power disappear.”

“……”

Father Revencio whispered covertly, but I offered no response.

“You will regret this. The black-haired guest truly possesses sacred power. She has already undergone several verifications before arriving at the lakeside. Everyone knows this fact except you. On the other hand, you……”

A metallic sneer made my skin prickle.

“Well, if that is truly the will of the Saint, there’s nothing more to be done. I hope you will rest peacefully.”

Father Revencio had chosen Lake Deleta for one reason only: to use Abigail’s life as leverage in a transaction. His plan was to drown her at the lakeside, just as he had once cast me into a pit of vipers.

“…Now that the black-haired guest and the Saintess are all gathered, we shall proceed with the sacred power verification. Only the Saintess recognized by the gods will rise to the surface of the lake. However, do not worry if she does not appear on the surface.”

Father Revencio adopted the benevolent smile of a cleric and stretched his arms towards the lakeside.

“After a set period of time, we will pull her up with the rope tied to her ankles. Even if she is not the Saintess chosen by the gods, every human life is equal and precious.”

Lies— I knew he had no intention of pulling me up. Yet, despite this knowledge, I had no choice but to dive into the lake to protect Abigail.

“I don’t want to! Do we really have to go this far?”

Sua struggled and withdrew from the lakeside.

“Do not worry, black-haired guest. Only the gods know the answer. Lake Deleta is the very embrace of the divine.”

I moved across the wooden bridge spanning the lake.

The priest from the central cathedral tied a rope around my ankle. A similar rope was fastened to Sua’s ankle.

“Let us all chant the hymn,” the priest instructed.

As the priests’ hymn filled the air, rain began to pour down from the sky.

Glancing back, I saw Abigail clinging closely to Father Edwin. Despite Lucio’s presence circling around her, he wouldn’t notice that she wasn’t me as long as she kept the cloak on.

The murky water of Lake Deleta drew closer beneath my feet. The pitch-black abyss seemed to be waiting with open jaws.

“I don’t want this! Let me go! I said no!”

Sua and I were pushed towards the railing. It was surreal to think I would face you again like this.

“Lord, only you know the answer. Please reveal it to these foolish humans!”

With Father Revencio’s voice piercing through the air, I was shoved forward. In an instant, I sank into the dark waters of the lake.

The white dress fluttered in the water. Holding my breath, I looked around. If Sua had fallen with me, she should be struggling somewhere nearby. But I couldn’t see her.

Had she already surfaced? Or was she walking on the water like the Saintess recorded in history?

‘Is this what it means to be truly chosen by the gods?‘

As I silently sank beneath the surface, memories of the past days swirled in my mind.

I had found salvation through Sister Dorothea, learned unconditional love from Sarah. And then…

‘Edwin…’

The man who promised to give up everything for me, who swore to die alongside me.

Meeting you has been the greatest fortune of my life.

Struggling to regain my senses, I felt myself nearing my limit. Just as I was about to succumb, I noticed bubbles rising from a distance. Abigail, dressed only in a thin slip, was sinking below the surface after discarding her nun’s habit.

Shaking off the haze, I tried to swim towards her. The rope around my ankle seemed to be caught on something, hindering my progress. Desperate, I sank my teeth into the rope, tearing at it.

“Ugh…!”

The effort was wasted, and I frantically waved my arms to reach her. Abigail’s blue eyes met mine. She seemed to want to say something, but bubbles formed at her lips.

‘D-don’t…’

Without a word, I embraced her in the water. It might be our final embrace.

Finishing the brief embrace, I began pulling her towards the surface with all my might. I pressed her feet against the water, straining with every ounce of strength to lift her up.

With every ounce of strength, I struggled to keep Abigail above the surface. My vision grew darker, and my hands, numb and heavy, started to lose their grip. 

“Please, God, grant me just enough strength to lift her to safety.”

As the darkness crept in, I knew this could be my final act. I used every bit of my remaining power to push her upwards. Clinging desperately to her ankle, I moved my feet in a frantic attempt to keep her in view until the priests could rescue her.

“Just a bit more… just a bit more…”

When I saw that Abigail was finally pulled to the surface, I allowed myself to let go. I sank into the quiet abyss, accepting the inevitable.

Bubbles formed between my lips as I sank deeper, and the past began to play before my eyes. The snake pit, the terrible marks left on me—these were the remnants of my trials.

The central cathedral had recognized the error in the prophecy, and the black-haired girl from the heavens had claimed the position of empress. Everything had returned to its rightful place, but I was left unable to return to the duke’s house.

‘Don’t worry. Victor said he would stay by my side forever, even if I’m a fake.’

Even as I had fallen from grace and became the emperor’s consort overnight, I had continued to believe in him. I trusted the image he had shown me over the years, and I believed in the vows spoken from his lips.

In the depths of despair, I clung to the hope Victor would come for me. I had never imagined I would want anything more than to return to the duke’s estate, where I could catch glimpses of his face from time to time.

‘Victor, I’ve waited so long just to see your face.’

After spending a whole day in the imperial palace, I finally had the chance to see him. The insulting words I had endured while waiting faded the moment I saw his stern face. A faint smile formed on my lips.

‘Did no one stop you from entering the imperial palace, just because you’re a mere consort?’

But that smile was short-lived.

‘How dare you, do not show yourself until I summon you again.’

As his retreating figure grew distant, I was held back by the emperor’s guards, unable to reach him.

‘Victor, tell me one thing. What about the vows you whispered to me? You promised, didn’t you? Even if I wasn’t the true Saint, you would stay with me forever! Were you lying to me?’

As I reached out, crying out, he finally turned around.

‘The one deceived is not you, but me. You and your father are swindlers who have dishonored the emperor of the empire.’

That I deceived you. It’s absurd. How much I trusted you, how long I waited.

‘How much I loved you…….’